Chapter 51

Fang Yun took out the备案, which was only a few hundred words long, but Zhou Zhubu read it three times in a row before stopping, his expression growing increasingly sad with each reading.

Fang Yun felt puzzled. He knew that this "Duì Yùn" (Rhyming) had an incomparably significant role in this world, especially in the current era where battle poetry was being vigorously developed. But why did Zhou Zhubu suddenly become so sad?

Zhou Zhubu sighed deeply and said, "If I had obtained this text back then, why would my poetry have always struggled to reach the grand hall! I thought poetry had ruined my life, but today I realize that it was not the fault of the teacher! Why didn't I learn this 'Duì Yùn' thirty years ago! Why!"

Zhou Zhubu almost beat his chest and stomped his feet, nearly breaking into tears.

Fang Yun had to console him, "Actually, it's not too late for you, Zhou Zhubu, to study poetry."

Zhou Zhubu replied, "It's too late! Our hearts are clouded, and our literary courage is dim. Even if we learn this 'Duì Yùn,' we cannot capture the elegance of poetry. We have already missed the best time. Now we only have two paths: to continue walking the great paths of 'benevolence,' 'righteousness,' 'courage,' and so on, and one day, after accumulating enough, our literary positions will rise. Or to strive for fame and fortune, to secure a prosperous future for our descendants, hoping that they can advance further on the path of literary positions."

"Which path do you choose?" Fang Yun asked.

"I choose the latter, or rather, more than eighty percent of people would choose the latter. The reason why the Left Chancellor has such great power today is not only because he is proficient in the纵横家's (Strategists) art of persuasion, nor merely because he studied under the Sage Lü Buwei and read the 'Lüshi Chunqiu.' The most important reason is that too many officials have chosen the latter. The reason why your 'Dream of the Pillow' is called a profound and significant work is because it was written at the right time."

Fang Yun nodded.

"Fang Yun, you have a bright future ahead. Don't follow in our footsteps. By the way, why did you name it 'The Fox Rhyming'?"

Fang Yun smiled and told Zhou Zhubu about Nunu's performance in class.

"Besides the students and teachers in Class A, is there anyone else who knows about 'The Fox Rhyming'?"

"Besides the people in the clan school, only I and Big Ox know," Fang Yun replied.

"I will submit this text to Lord Yuanjun, and then ask him to dispatch people from the 'Criminal Hall' to find everyone who knows about 'The Fox Rhyming,' whether they are adults or children. They must not leak any information before you complete the book."

"Criminal Hall? I didn't hear wrong, right? Is it really necessary?" Fang Yun was extremely surprised.

The Ministry of Justice, the Criminal Department, and others are administrative bodies of various countries, but the Criminal Hall is different. It is the highest law enforcement body of the Holy Academy, and only those who have condensed their literary courage and are juren (scholar-officials) can join. Each member swears an oath before the statues of the sages, vowing to exist for the highest interests of the human race. Even the noble families of the sages can only influence but not control the Criminal Hall.

Whenever the Criminal Hall is involved, it is a major event that shakes the ten countries, often targeting traitorous literati, using extremely ruthless methods.

"It is necessary to involve the Criminal Hall. I couldn't see the value in 'The Three-Character Classic,' but the value of 'The Fox Rhyming' is obvious. 'The Fox Rhyming' is a completely new way to introduce phonetics and rhyming. In terms of literary talent, it might barely stand out in the county, but in terms of importance, it surpasses even the national-level poetry. You must not rush to write it; you must be serious. Even if it takes another year to complete, we can wait. This might be your chance to become a great Confucian scholar. Yi Zhishi became a great Confucian scholar at just over thirty because he wrote 'The Selection of Zhishi,' where each word was worth a thousand gold, and it is said that when the original manuscript was thrown, the ground sank three feet. Although it's just a chance and not a guarantee, it is still much better than those of us who have no chance at all. Remember, do not rashly complete the book."

Fang Yun originally wanted to finish it quickly, but hearing Zhou Zhubu's words, he said, "I will complete it by next month at the earliest, and it won't be as fast as writing 'The Three-Character Classic.'"

"Next month? Although it's a bit rushed, it's not too fast. You must have had the outline in mind for a long time, right?"

Fang Yun remained calm and said, "Of course. I was young and dull, always looking for a shortcut to learn poetry, so I gradually summarized these phonetics and rhyming. That's why I later wrote those poems. It was only recently that I had the idea to compile them into a book. When I was young, I often pondered rhyming by the river, and people mistook it for daydreaming and laziness. Now, thinking back, those grievances are nothing."

Fang Yun was sweating inside, grateful that the young Fang Yun was somewhat foolish and often went to the river to daydream and relieve his worries.

"Extraordinary people must have extraordinary signs. This is what you call enduring hardship and accumulating strength! Those children who mocked you probably regret it deeply now. When you achieve success, you can write about your enlightenment by the river in your autobiography to warn future generations."

Fang Yun thought the exaggeration was getting bigger and bigger, turning into enlightenment by the river.

"Sir, you are too kind. What else do I need to do for the备案?" Fang Yun asked.

"Sign your name and put your fingerprint on this manuscript, and you can leave. I will submit this manuscript to Lord Yuanjun, and this level of text must be personally kept by him, not to be seen by other officials. I will see you out and then go to Lord Yuanjun to have the Criminal Hall seal the information."

The two walked out together. Fang Yun asked, "Is University Scholar Li also appointed in the Holy Academy?"

"Of course, he is a member of the 'Battle Hall' and the Deputy Chancellor of the Sea Monster Academy, responsible for the daily affairs of the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace. His position and real power in the Holy Academy are even higher than that of the Left Chancellor. If the Left Chancellor comes to Jiangzhou and encounters a sea monster invasion, Sword Brow Gong can command him. So even if Sword Brow Gong scolds the Left Chancellor, the Left Chancellor can only endure it, unless the Left Chancellor becomes a great Confucian scholar."

"No wonder," Fang Yun said.

"I hope you can become the next Sword Brow Gong, not a traitorous chancellor. Lord Yuanjun is about to return to his residence, and I will handle 'The Fox Rhyming.'"

"Goodbye," Fang Yun bowed and walked out.

Fang Yun looked at the bustling crowd on the Literary Academy Street, slowly walking on the stone path, with Big Ox driving the carriage behind him.

The Literary Academy Street had a unique charm in the sunset.

Most of the people here were scholars, some alone, some with their families, and some in groups, most of them with relaxed smiles on their faces.

Some came to the bookshop to buy "The Holy Way" and "The Literary Report," some to buy the Four Treasures of the Study, and some to buy books. Some just came to stroll and feel the atmosphere.

The sounds of bargaining, shouting, whispering, and high discussions filled this ancient and elegant street.

"The fragrance of ink and the sound of books, even in a bustling market, are not vulgar. What represents this world are not the high officials and noble families, but the literary academies, the Literary Academy Streets, and these individuals."

Fang Yun smiled faintly, walked smoothly out of the Literary Academy Street, looked back at the setting sun, and got into the carriage.

After returning home, Fang Yun discussed buying a new residence with Yang Yuhuan, Big Ox, and Grandma Jiang.

Tang Dazhang paid 10,000 taels of silver in one go, a true fortune. Even though the housing prices in Dayuan Prefecture were much higher than in Jixian County, 10,000 taels of silver was enough to buy a large courtyard in an ordinary area.

Fang Yun actually didn't want to buy a large house; a study and a small courtyard would suffice. But he wanted Yang Yuhuan to live better and eat better, and his increasingly high status did not allow his residence to be too simple.

Fang Yun asked Yang Yuhuan to find Lady Fang the next day. As a native of Dayuan Prefecture and a noble lady, Lady Fang would have no problem selecting a house.

After dinner, Fang Yun continued to study hard, practice calligraphy, and think during his breaks.

"If martial artists need to practice boxing, spar, and fight to the death to become stronger, then we scholars need to read books, write essays, and poetry to practice, participate in poetry and literature gatherings to spar, and use battle poetry to fight to the death. The goals are different, the paths are different, but the efforts are the same! The rewards are the same!"

"Effort may not guarantee success, but it will certainly bring rewards! Without effort, there is nothing!"

"Intelligence, talent, and extraordinary books are not the reasons for success, but the reasons for effort!"

"Those who have talent and work hard are the brains of the human race."

"And those who have nothing but still work hard are the backbone of the human race!"

"Choosing the right direction and working hard forward is the reason for success!"

As Fang Yun continued to learn and gain insights, his beliefs became firmer, his literary palace more solid, and his talent grew much faster than the muddled child scholars.

It wasn't until four in the morning that Fang Yun went to sleep.

At six, Fang Yun got up on time, had breakfast, and first taught Yang Yuhuan to recognize characters, then studied and read with Nunu's company.

Fang Yun's residence was very quiet, but the Yan family, a few streets away, was different.

Early in the morning, the gatekeeper of the Yan family, as usual, drowsily walked towards the gate. Before he could get close, he was almost knocked out by a foul smell.

The gatekeeper looked closely and saw a large amount of filth and excrement flowing into the courtyard through the door crack. Near the wall, there were dead rats, rotten meat, and all kinds of filth.

The gatekeeper covered his nose and ran back, shouting, "Sir! Madam! Something bad has happened!"

Soon, all the people in the Yan family got up and hurriedly dealt with the filth in front of the door. When they opened the door, they found that no one could stand outside, and the walls were smeared with disgusting things.

"Who did this! Don't let me find out! Otherwise, I'll tear you to pieces!" The roar of the head of the Yan family echoed in the air.

Just after 6:30, the relatives of the Yan family, led by Grandma Yan, gathered together, wearing mourning clothes as they did yesterday, and walked towards the Fang clan school.

When they reached a secluded place, more than ten masked men rushed out, each with a b